YORK, Pa. — Note: The video is from Fasnacht Day in 2023.
Fasnacht Day, the annual Pennsylvania Dutch celebration where practitioners fill up before the Lenten fast, will be held this year on Tuesday, Feb. 13.
Traditionally held the day before the season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, Fasnacht Day is a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition brought to the United States from Germany.
"Fasnacht translates into 'fast night' in English which helps to explain the origins of this tradition," according to Discover Lancaster. "It stems from the need to use up the lard, sugar, butter and eggs prior to the beginning of Lent since these lavish items were typically given up.
"Not to be confused with a standard glazed or powdered sugar doughnut, many fasnachts are made with mashed potatoes and fried in animal fat making them less sweet, but extra delicious. Traditionally, they are square in shape, with no hole, filling, frosting or sprinkles."
(We should acknowledge that there is more than one way to spell the word "fasnacht." We're going with the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch spelling approved by Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com, and perhaps most importantly, Discover Lancaster. Others add a "t" to the word to more closely mimic the way it is sometimes pronounced, "fastnacht.")
There are more ways to make fasnachts than there are to spell them. Whether you go for yours with powdered sugar, molasses, glazed, or the more traditional plain, here are some of the many places across Central Pennsylvania where you can find some fasnachts to chow down on.
If you'd like to have your fasnacht location included in the list, send the information to news@fox43.com.
Adams County
Berwick Township
Miller's Country Market, located at 1140 Abbottstown Pike, will have fasnachts for sale beginning at 7 a.m. on Feb. 13. Glazed, plain, sugar or powdered fasnachts are $2.25 for a box of four, $3.25 for a half-dozen, or $6.50 per dozen.
Cumberland County
Camp Hill
The Pennsylvania Bakery, located at 1713 Market St., will offer a variety of options on Feb. 13, including a Fastnacht Cupcake. The cost is $18.25/dozen.
The Cornerstone Coffee House, 2133 Market St., will sell plain, glazed, powdered sugar and granulated sugar varieties.
Carlisle
Beeman's Baked Goods, located at 51 S. Orange St., will have fasnachts available without pre-orders while supplies last on Tuesday, Feb. 13. Options include glazed, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, and plain. Cost: $14/dozen, $7/half-dozen, $4/pack of 3 for unfilled; $15.50/dozen, $7.75/half-dozen, $4.75 pack of 3 for filled.
The store will be open on Feb. 13 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Mechanicsburg
Paulus Farm Market, located at 1216 South York St., will offer fasnachts by the dozen on Feb. 13, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Cost: $13.25/dozen.
Oak Grove Farms, 846 Fisher Rd., is selling sugar, glazed, powdered, plain and cream-filled fasnachts beginning at 6 a.m. on Feb. 13. Cost: $13.99/dozen, $7/half-dozen, $1.50 each. Cream-filled cost: $10.99/half-dozen, $1.99 each. Order by phone at (717) 766-2216 or in-person.
Shippensburg
Maplewood Farm Market, located at 8564 Olde Scotland Rd., will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Feb. 13 with free coffee. Fasnacht options include sugared, glazed or powdered and cost 99 cents each or $11 per dozen.
Dauphin County
Hershey
Desserts Etc., located at 840 E. Chocolate Ave., is offering glazed, granulated sugar, cinnamon sugar, powdered and plain varieties for $3.25 a piece.
However, supplies are limited, and the business suggests customers should pre-order here.
Lancaster County
Bird-in-Hand
Bird-in-Hand Bakery & Cafe, located at 2715 Old Philadelphia Pike, will have drive-thru tents for fast fasnacht pick-up at its Bird-in-Hand location and at Firestone Complete Auto Care, 1530 Oregon Pike, Manheim Township.
Fasnachts will be available from 2 to 6 p.m. on Feb. 12 and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 13 at the Firestone location, from 6 to 9 a.m. on Feb. 13 at the bakery drive-thru, and on normal business hours at the bakery.
The cost is $1.25 apiece, $7 per half-dozen, and $13.50 per dozen at the bakery; $1.50 apiece, $8 per half-dozen and $15 per dozen at Firestone.
Flavor options include plain, powdered, cinnamon sugar and glazed.
Columbia
Trinity Catholic Church, the O.G. of Lancaster County Fasnacht Day suppliers, is celebrating 100 years of fasnacht making this year. They'll begin making orders for the public on Monday, January 29 and continue until sold out. The church is located at 409 Cherry St., Columbia. Production will begin at 4 a.m. and continue until 10 a.m. Dozens of volunteers are expected to make more than 5,000 fasnachts over Feb. 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 28 and March 4, 6, 11, 13.
East Earl Township
Shady Maple Farm Market, located at 1324 Main St., will have fasnachts available through Feb. 13 during normal business hours (7 a.m. to 8 p.m.). On Feb. 13, carport pickup will be available from 6 to 11 a.m. Fasnachts are available in plain, glazed, cinnamon sugar and powdered, and cost $1.25 apiece, $6.99 per half dozen or $12.49 per dozen.
Lancaster
Lafayette Fire Company, located at 63 Lafayette Way, is holding its fifth annual Fasnachts for Fassnacht Event to help you celebrate Fasnacht Day and to help Lafayette remember one of Lancaster's greatest community servants, Jan Fassnacht. Preorder a dozen or more fasnachts (A mix of powdered sugar and glazed supplied via Bird-in-Hand Bakery). Please preorder by Feb. 8. A limited number of smaller quantities will be available on Fasnacht Day for sale.
Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, located at 3131 Columbia Ave., has fasnachts available for $7.50 per half-dozen at its drive-thru sale on Feb. 12 from 2-7 p.m. and from 6 a.m. to noon on Feb. 13. Plain, powdered and glazed fasnachts are available.
Marley's Country Goods will have fasnachts available at its stand in Lancaster Central Market from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 13. The cost is $1.50 apiece, $8.50 per half-dozen or $16 per dozen, and come in plain, powdered, glazed and cinnamon sugar.
Ric's Bread will also have fasnachts available at its Central Market stand; its main location will be closed on Feb. 13. Fasnachts come in plain and powdered, and cost $1.50 apiece, $6.50 per half-dozen, and $12 per dozen.
Leola
Achenbach's Pastry makes fasnachts year-round, but business is normally booming on Fasnacht Day for the Leola business, located at 375 E. Main St. Their fasnacht, made from scratch "with no hole in the middle -- which is what most people see as a fasnacht," will be available in plain, powdered, glazed and cinnamon sugar varieties from 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Feb. 12 and 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fasnacht Day.
Byers Butterflake Bakery, located at 44 W. Main St. in Leola, will begin selling fasnachts on Friday, Jan. 26 through Feb. 13. They are $11.95 for a dozen. The bakery is taking pre-orders via phone at (717) 656-6803. The bakery's hours on Fasnacht Day will be 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at their store and will have a stand at their farmer's market stand at Roots Market.
Lititz
The Market at Oregan Dairy plans to offer a super convenient pickup option for customers looking to grab some freshly made fasnachts on Tuesday, Feb. 13! Customers can use the drive-thru pickup under the carport from 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Oregan Dairy Fasnachts are available in plain, powdered and glazed and are priced at $6 for a half dozen and $12 for a dozen. Pre-order online here to use the drive-thru pickup or pay cash or card under the carport the day of.
Weiser's Market, located at 680 Furnace Hills Pike, will have fasnachts from 7-9 a.m. on Feb. 13. Cost is $1.09 apiece, $6.19 per half dozen, and $11.99 per dozen, and come in plain, powdered, and cinnamon sugar.
Peach Bottom
The Robert Fulton Fire Company, located at 2271 Robert Fulton Highway, will have fasnachts from 5-9 p.m. on Feb. 12 and from 6-10 a.m. on Feb. 13. Cost is $6 per half dozen and $10 per dozen. Fasnachts come in plain, powdered sugar, and cinnamon sugar.
Various locations
Stauffer's of Kissel Hill will have fasnachts for sale through Feb. 13 at its Lititz, East Hempfield Township, and Mount Joy stores. Fasnachts are available in plain, powered and an assorted pack, and cost $7.99 per half dozen.
Lebanon County
Lebanon
Pre-order sales have already closed at St. Cecilia's Catholic Church in the city, but you can visit the parish in person on Saturday, Feb. 10 and Sunday, Feb. 11 to pick up fasnachts while supplies last.
"We start working Friday night Feb. 9) at 11 PM and work 24 hours a day until Sunday around 5 or 6 PM or until we are out of dough -- whichever comes first," the church says on Facebook.
York County
York City
The York County History Center, located at 250 E. Market St., will be handing out free fasnachts from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Feb. 13. The free treats are courtesy of Friends of the York History Center.
Cupcakes & More, located at 34 W. Philadelphia St., will offer plain, powdered, glazed or sugar fasnachts for $1.50 apiece, $7.50 for a half-dozen or $15 per dozen on Feb. 13.
Hellam Township
Flinchbaugh's Orchards & Farm Market, located at 110 Ducktown Road, will have glazed, plain, sugar or powdered sugar fasnachts available for $6.99 per half-dozen on Feb. 13 and again from Feb. 15-17. Preorders will be taken through Feb. 16. Call (717) 252-2540 or fill out a form online at www.flinchbaughsorchard.com.
Jackson Township
Emingee's Fasnachts, Donuts, Ice Cream and Italian Ice will have glazed, cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, granulated sugar or plain fasnachts for sale at Morning Sun Marketplace, 5309 Lincoln Highway. Price is $8 for a half dozen or $15 per dozen.
Loganville
Brown's Orchards and Farm Market, located at 8892 Susquehanna Trail, will offer glazed, powdered, or plain fasnachts for $1.49 each, $7.49 for a half-dozen, or $12.99 per dozen on Feb. 12 and Feb. 13.
Lower Windsor Township
Buser's Farm Market, 49 Buser Farm Lane, will have fasnachts for $12 per dozen (plain) or $13 per dozen (glazed, powdered, cinnamon sugar) on Feb. 13.
Seven Valleys
The Community Fire Company of Seven Valleys, located at 35 Main St., will offer plain, glazed, or cinnamon sugar fasnachts for $7 per half dozen or $12 per dozen from 7-9 a.m. and 3-5 p.m. on Feb. 13. Call or text (717) 318-6803 to place an order.
Stewartstown and Springettsbury Townships
Saubel's Markets will have sugar, powdered, cinnamon sugar, glazed and plain fasnachts available on Feb. 13 at its locations in Stewartstown and Springettsbury Townships. Price is $1.29 apiece, $1.59 for filled fasnachts, $7.99 for a half-dozen or $12.99 per dozen.
Various locations
Maple Donuts will have fasnachts available at its four York County locations on Feb. 12 and Feb. 13 in powdered, granulated sugar, plain and glazed varieties for $1.39 a piece, $7.99 a half dozen and $12.99 a dozen.
If you want three dozen or more, you must pre-order them.
West Manchester Township
Whitcomb's Farm Market, located at 2410 Roosevelt Ave., has plain, powdered, sugar, glazed, and cream-filled fasnachts available for $6.50 per half dozen, $12 per dozen for plain, powdered and sugar fasnachts, $7 for a half dozen and $13 for a dozen of the glazed fastnachts; and $7.50 for a half dozen and $14 for a dozen of the powdered with cream filling.